It’s been a hot minute since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family and just as long since they started clashing with Kate Middleton (or maybe even longer). And by the looks of it, a grand reconciliation seems unlikely — maybe even impossible.
It’s tough to pinpoint the exact origin of the drama between the Sussexes and Middleton (and obviously, Prince William), but Harry’s controversial memoir, “Spare,” and the couple’s revealing Oprah interview, where they implied mistreatment by the Royal Family, certainly didn’t help. And per the Daily Beast, a friend of the Cambridges noted that communication between the parties has been nearly nonexistent. “Both sides understand each other’s position clearly now,” they dished. “William and Catherine felt completely betrayed by Harry’s memoir. They don’t speak to Harry and Meghan, and they are certainly not about to start when Catherine is at her most vulnerable.”
While the rift between the couples is undeniably sad, a rekindling seems out of reach. From Harry’s remaining close relatives siding with Middleton and William to Markle and Harry being kept in the dark about Middleton’s cancer diagnosis, these signs suggest that reconciliation is not on the horizon — at least for now.
Some of their family members have reportedly taken sides
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have been on the outs with the Royal Family, but they reportedly kept a tight bond with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — especially Harry, who was practically BFFs with Eugenie growing up — at least initially. “This whole drama between him and Meghan and the rift with the rest of the family has been really stressful for the girls. It’s hard to watch because they see both sides of it,” an insider told People in August 2023.
However, a year later, the sisters seem to have changed their stance, siding with Prince William and Kate Middleton instead. What gives? “Beatrice and Eugenie have firmly pledged their allegiance to the Royal Family,” a source dished to Daily Express, pointing out that they’re now as good as strangers to Harry and Meghan. “They haven’t communicated with the Sussexes for quite a while now… They are nowhere near as close as they once were,” they said.
The good news is Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, aren’t about to torch the whole relationship. They are apparently making sure that they are not burning any bridges. “[They] are very careful about what they say to friends because they don’t want to be seen as bad-mouthing Harry or Meghan,” the insider continued. “There’s still a friendship there but it’s not like the close family bond they had before Harry moved to America.”
Harry and Meghan were shut out on important family news — including Kate’s cancer
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family, they probably didn’t anticipate being completely shut out of important family matters. But, surprise! They reportedly weren’t even clued in about Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis. Like everyone else, they found out through the TV.
“They are aware of everything that goes on back in England, but are being left out of any details regarding Kate,” an insider shared with People. “There is clearly no trust.” When Harry made a trip home to see his father after his own cancer diagnosis, he skipped a visit to Kate. But whether it was his choice or a royal ban, no one really knows. “It would be the normal run of things to go and see your sister-in-law who’s had a serious operation and also see your niece and nephews. But it isn’t normal. It’s terribly sad,” another source told the outlet.
Despite all this royal drama, Harry and Markle still managed to issue a response to what was happening with Middleton, perhaps a sign that they still want to call it a truce. “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace,” the couple said, according to Page Six.
Prince Harry has started feeling like an ‘outsider’
In 2024, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle found themselves snubbed yet again, missing out on the Trooping the Colour for the second year in a row. Unsurprisingly, this reportedly made Harry feel even more like a complete stranger to his own family.
“It was so painful for Harry to see all his family gathered for Trooping the Colour and not be there with them, he’d have done anything to be invited, even gone alone. He’s heartbroken and confused by the way they’ve cut him off and seemingly haven’t given it another thought,” a source dished to Closer Weekly. Prince Harry has been gracing the event since he was a child, and he and Markle attended it thrice during the late Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Being reduced to a mere spectator now was a bitter pill to swallow for him. “The fact he’s got to watch on TV or via the internet from 6,000 miles away just made him so sad, it really hammers home how he’s a proper outsider at this point,” they added.
Meanwhile, fans think that Markle’s response to the event proves that she’s envious of Kate Middleton, as it coincided with the announcement of the first slate of products produced by her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard. The timing, according to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam, was just awkward. “I mean, it is a clash of a sort. What was done was just silly,” he told The Sun. “I don’t think it’s been thought out. This makes no public relations sense. It’s ridiculous.”
Kate and William reportedly have no plans of forgiving
Even if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kept trying to extend an olive branch, it’s doubtful Prince William and Kate Middleton would even consider a truce. The reason? Their relationship is reportedly broken beyond repair.
“Whether or not it would be accepted by William and Catherine, I doubt very much it would be. There’s too much water which has gone under that bridge,” Charles Rae, a former royal correspondent, shared with The Sun. After Harry and Meghan’s bombshell Oprah interview and Harry’s tell-all in “Spare,” there’s no turning back. Both his brother and sister-in-law felt too burned by his and Markle’s statements that they would no longer consider patching things up. “If they’re going to make the move, I am not so sure William and Catherine would respond favourably,” he said.
Markle seems to have accepted this reality long ago. She reportedly thinks her husband’s attempts to reconcile are a lost cause. “Meghan knows she is facing a losing battle when it comes to Harry reaching out to Kate and William to try and sort through their differences, but she thinks he’s making a big mistake,” an insider told OK!, adding that she, too, is still fuming over her fallout with her supposed second family. “She obviously feels sympathy for Kate and what she’s going through, but in her mind, it doesn’t change things.”
Kate is reportedly over all the drama
You know a relationship is pretty much over when one party has grown indifferent towards the other. That’s apparently where Kate Middleton stands regarding the Sussex drama. She’s so over it that she no longer pays it any mind and has shifted her focus to the work she has to do — the very work that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stopped doing.
“She’s moved on and William has too. She’s very focused on what matters going forward. They aren’t looking back,” one of her friends told People, with a royal household insider adding that the duchess is fully committed to making a difference. “She takes things seriously — and thank goodness for that,” they said.
Not even the idea of her children forming bonds with Markle and Prince Harry’s kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, would convince Middleton to forgive and forget. “[Harry] has written about how he looks back with nostalgia at the time when his family was united and happy,” former BBC royal correspondent Jenny Bond explained to OK!. “So he does care about his U.K. family, and I’m sure he would like his children to hang out with their little cousins and to better understand their heritage. But I don’t think the two families will reunite simply for the sake of the children.”
